Agenda item

This report sets out the gang and knife crime profile of the borough for children and young people aged under 18. It also highlights H&F’s action plan in response to knife crime.

Alison Sabaroche (Family Support and Child Protection Service Manager) presented the briefing on gang and knife crime in relation to children and young people aged under 18 in the borough. She noted that tackling these issues was done in partnership between the Metropolitan Police, Community Safety, the Youth Offending Team, and Family Services. Representatives from each area had been invited to share their experiences with the Committee.

The statistics for H&F showed that, while there was an upward trend in incidents, the number of incidents was not as significant as neighbouring boroughs. In terms of gang activity – the most significant problem was between the areas in the north of the borough (White City and Shepherd’s Bush) in conflict with the Ladbrook Grove area in Kensington & Chelsea.

Pat Defreitas (Gangs Unit) explained that he provided a rapid response service – in the aftermath of an incident he would meet the young person involved (whether at home or in hospital), engage with them and try and build a relationship to then divert them away from crime – offering services and support. The Chair asked how long he would be involved with a particular young person. Pat Defreitas said it depended on the case – but if they were engaging he would try to keep the relationship going as long as there was a risk.

Nadia Taylor asked what work was being done with the community to lure people away from crime. Alison Sabaroche said they did offer programmes aimed at the affected communities – including workshops for young people that led to AQA qualifications. The Safeguarding Children’s Board also organised a parent’s event so they could speak about their fears. Many parents contacted the youth offending team because they were worried about their children’s safety or involvement in gang activity.

Nadia Taylor suggested young people who had turned their lives around could be used as mentors or coaches for at-risk young people. Alison Sabaroche said it was a possibility and would be considered.

Councillor Alan De’Ath commented that the profile on page 10 of the agenda – that said the typical young person who carried a knife was black male and aged 16 years old – was very problematic. He asked what the deeper connections were between these young people (family breakdown, victims of domestic violence etc.). Alison Sabaroche agreed that many were victims themselves, many carried knives for protection. H&F had to make young people feel safe in their schools and on the streets. It was vital to get involved with these young people as early as possible to have a chance at changing their lives. Alison noted that they had visited Brent Council who were doing advanced predictive modelling that drew on a wide range of data to identify those most at-risk. There were many factors that added to this problem – family issues were significant but it could also be peers, the environment they grow up in. There wasn’t one answer.

Councillor De’Ath noted that lack of opportunities also contributed and a stronger work experience offer could help in this area. Alison Sabaroche added that in schools there was a lot of academic pressure and she’d prefer them to give equal weight to vocational training.

Detective Inspector Jim Shirley reiterated to the Committee that early intervention was key. Councillor De’Ath noted that Glasgow had been very successful in tackling gangs and knife crime. Alison Sabaroche said Glasgow treated it as a public health issue which made a huge difference. That was why H&F brought the Youth Offending Team into Family Services – to stop criminalising children and open access to a lot more links and support. The concern was that the age group involved was getting younger and younger (12 and 13).

The Chair asked what training and support there was for foster carers who were caring for an at-risk young person. Bev Sharpe (Assistant Director of Family Services) said any gang association made carers very anxious as their safety and their families safety could be put at risk. Officers were looking at an enhanced offer for foster carers that included peer-to-peer support and training.

Vic Daniels asked if knife arches were used outside of schools (in sports stadiums for example). Officers said they are sometimes used at tube stations and sporting events but mainly schools. Vic Daniels said schools were naturally reluctant to use them because of the message it sent to parents. Unless all schools had to use them, it was very difficult to get headteachers on-board.

Vic Daniels then talked about the difficultly schools had when considering exclusions for carrying a knife – on the one hand it wasn’t good for the young person to be excluded but if the Police are recommending exclusion the schools have little choice.

Councillor De’Ath questioned the use of stop-and-search and how it was targeted.

Claire Rai said officers monitored the conversation rates for stop-and-search to ensure it was being used effectively. H&F compared well in this area to other London boroughs. She added that it was always targeted based on intelligence. In the most recent stop-and-search exercise, knives were found on every occasion.

Eleanor Allen asked if officers were working with local businesses to prevent young people buying dangerous knives. Alison Sabaroche said there was a programme of test purchasing in the borough - Police Cadets were sent in to shops to test if shopkeepers were doing the correct checks.

The Chair thanked officers and the Police for all their hard work protecting residents of the borough.